


The Exodus Project

by chowrites



Category: Blood+ (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M, Fanfiction, Horror, Multi, Murder Mystery, Original Character(s), Psychological Horror, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Vampires, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-08 10:28:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17979596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chowrites/pseuds/chowrites
Summary: David "Kazimir" Chesnokov was many things. A Father. A Brother. A Husband. A Brilliant Inventor. Now, he is being laid to rest by his closest family of The Chesnokov Household, his older sister Cecilia and her three children. His eldest nephew being the one who will inherit any possessions, assets, belongings, etc. including the generous fortune left behind to be claimed.Despite the mystery surrounding his death, his family aren't the only ones heavily impacted by it.





	1. ʜɪʀᴀᴇᴛʜ

**"ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴅᴇѕᴛʀᴏʏ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏѕᴛ ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟ ᴡᴀʏ ᴘᴏѕѕɪʙʟᴇ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ғɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀѕᴛᴀɴᴅ, ᴡʜʏ ѕᴛᴏʀᴍѕ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇᴅ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ."**

**\--- ᴄᴀɪᴛʟʏɴ ѕɪᴇʜʟ**

**_______________________________________________________**

**《ᴇᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ ᴏɴᴇ》**

 

A soft moonlight above her head; the cold brown sand between her toes.

The foamy ocean waves splashing against the shore and swallowing up the numerous little sand castles left behind in the middle of the day. The air filled with the scent of salt water as a brown skinned woman stood a little past the shoreline. Barefoot with the water up her knees, a starfish in one hand and a small photo in the other.

It was a picture of her and another woman posing under the sun with goofy expressions. She was wearing a ruffled long sleeved yellow crop top and blue skinny jeans with brown sandals. Her jet black hair flowing down her back with a large sun hat on. The other woman was a few inches taller than her and had freckles across her nose and cheeks. She wore a long sleeved white sun dress. Deep fiery red curls running down her shoulders all the way to her waist. She even had a wine red lipstick to tie it all together.

The words on the back said, _T+R. Best friends forever. Goodbye, Santa Rozos and thanks for the fun!_

She then delicately lowered the starfish back in the sea, the waves snatching it from her palm in a instant. Her eyes trailed back to the small photo in her hand. Just when she was about to let it flow with the sea, the faint sound of a familiar voice called out to her.

"Tuyet!" A hand of a young woman on the dry shoreline caught her attention. Her name was Ranam. She had her hair tied up in a messy bun, wearing brown sandals with white jeaned pants and a sleeveless red blouse.

Tuyet quickly placed the photo into her back pocket and walked out of the water, the tiny wet rocks sticking to her feet. A somber awestruck look on her face as the fading blue waves reflected off her eyes, giving them this hypnotic navy blue kind of glow before disappearing the closer she got to Ranam.

Looking down she noticed the dried velvet paint across Ranam's knuckles and underneath her fingertips.

"Oh. After you went out again, I decided to do some painting of my own. Nothing of a masterpiece like your projects. It was just something to pass the time." She admitted, feeling a little silly.

"Who knows maybe you might have a hidden talent in it that could surpass mine." Tuyet replied, her arm locking with the brunette's as they walked across the sand.

The sound of ocean behind them becoming nothing more than white noise.

When Tuyet finally got home that same night, there was a package waiting on her doorstep. The lightbulb above it flickering on and off as the item was given a closer inspection. It was a black envelope with a cursive red wax seal in the shape of a "C" stamp on the center of it and the name Tuyet Ballard written on the back in cursive white letters.

Underneath it was a large brown box with the words, _Do not return to sender_ followed by her home address.

Inside, she noticed the doors to the room right down the hallway had been left ajarred with the lights off. Tuyet stepped inside with a exhausted sigh, collapsing onto the navy blue cushioned loved seat with the package and envelope in hand. Her auburn eyes staring tiredly at the unfinished painting in front of her.

It had what looked to be numerous golden lanterns under a moonless night sky, floating idly above a distant little town filled with the same golden hue down below.

 _Ranam must be homesick again._ Tuyet thought. _I should do something special for her. She deserves it for taking the time out of her life to come and help me._

Staring back at the envelope and the unopened box that came with it. Tuyet finally decided to open it, but not before throwing a white sheet over the lantern painting. Masterpieces come from the heart after all and Ranam's was the absolute personification of sunlight.

First to be opened was the sealed black envelope. Inside read as followed:

**Dear, Ms. Ballard.**

**"We are writing this letter with a heavy heart to inform you that David Cheskonov has recently passed away due to natural causes. Though we are aware that he was a private contact of yours, providing financial aid for your paintings through the last four years. In accordance to his will, anything regarding his fortune and inventions will be inherited by his eldest nephew.**

**Please don't trouble yourself with coming all the way out to Sarovat to pay your respects. The funeral was two days ago and we don't want to add anymore heartache than there needs to be.**

**Inside the package that came with the letter are some gifts that David wanted to give you for your birthday next month in person. His secretary and caretaker, Ms. Parrish, also left a present along with her phone number and email address inside incase you need to talk.**

**Though we may be the last people you would even consider seeking comfort from ----**

**Please remember that we will always welcome you with open arms, Tuyet."**

**Sincerely, Cecilia and family.**

Slowly, she placed the letter back into it's black envelope with the red stamp split in two. She wouldn't have noticed the tears running down her face if not for the salty drops splashing against her thumb.

Her heart had this soft kind of throbbing in it. She had almost forgotten about the photo in her back pocket.

A sniffle here and there, she wiped away the tears and went to open the large package that contained her early birthday gifts. A gesture she knew David would pull in light of a surprise face-to-face visit. He was always nice to her and that he kept in touch, not only as a client but as a concerned friend too.

Inside were five old timey audio logs, four hearing aids, two greeting cards, Ms. Parrish's business card, two journals, a VIP first class plane ticket, a small brown photo album and lastly a generous check in her name.

One audio log was labeled 'Chekonov' and the other 'Parrish'.

Her thumb gently brushed across the first one. Her entire hand suddenly shaking before closing into a fist. The volume on the second one being turned up beforehand as she placed one of the hearing aids in her left ear.

It was pure static for a couple of moments.

**"Hello, Ms. Ballard. My name is Jahani Parrish, I'm David Cheskonov's secretary and you are a client of his that he has personally asked me to take care of."**

She explained that the hearing aids inside were custom made for specifically for her use and no one else's. Based on David's study as a Audiologist and experiences with individuals who were Deaf and Hard Of Hearing, he was able to construct a hearing aid that worked much more effectively than the previous ones Tuyet had used in the past.

They weren't perfect but they were effective despite the low volume. She heard enough to know that a woman was speaking.

**"David and I will always be admiring fans of your artwork. The generous check I wrote can be used for funding and traveling to your heart's delight. Speaking of, if it wouldn't be too much trouble for you---"**

Jahani explained that she wished to meet Ms. Ballard in person to continue her career as a artist. She's caught the eye of many investors and some colleagues of David that would be more than thrilled to meet her.

The morning tickets to Kamat had already been bought in advance therefore she didn't have much of a choice at this point.

**"I can't wait to finally meet you, Ms. Ballard. In the meantime, please take care."**

With that said and done, Tuyet immediately began packing for tomorrow's early flight. Her heart stirring with so many emotions all at once that it almost felt like she could collapse at any second.

The next morning there was a letter left behind incase Ranam came by. Taking a breath, Tuyet braced herself for the unexpected road paved before her and made it on time to her flight in first class.

Her eyes peering over the city one last time from thousands of feet in the air.

_Goodbye Rajal. Hello Kamat._

For the next five hours she read through **The House On Mango Street** by Sandra Cisneros, **Monster** by Walter Dean Myers, and lastly **The Schwa Was Here** by Niel Shusterman.

After getting safely off the plane and into the massive airport, she collected her few pieces of luggage and went about her day with the destination memorized.

That is, until she was abruptly stopped by a sharply dressed man with his hair tied a neat ponytail and his beard freshly shaved.

Her round auburn eyes meeting his soft green narrow ones instantly. The way he smiled made her heart start to race.

"Tuyet Ballard? Ms. Parrish sent me as your personal escort for your stay in Kamat. If you would kindly follow me to the limousine out front." His chivalrous approach took her by surprise as he took her luggage, guiding her outside to the already running limousine waiting on them both.

"Do you have a name?" She signed, sitting next to him in the backseat of the now moving vehicle.

To her surprise, he signed back. That same smile on his face.

"Shinjiro. Shinjiro Lii."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
> 
> This is book one of five in The Exodus Book Series. All the characters used in these books are 100% original. However, there will be references made about the Blood+ animated series and the manga as I build upon my own version of Chiropteran Lore and Mythology.
> 
> Copyright © 2005 Animax, TBS and Production I.G 
> 
> BLOOD+ and all related characters and elements belong to their respective and talented creators. 
> 
> All Rights Reserved
> 
> Special Thanks to Eddie W. and Noel for allowing me to use their characters in my story!
> 
> Please be sure to leave your thoughts and constructive critism if necessary. 
> 
> Thank you!


	2. ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏᴇ ᴇʏᴇᴅ ɢɪʀʟ

The smell of burnt coffee is never a good sign. It was one of the things Jahani despised the most on a Monday morning.

Her black and red stiletto pumps clicked loudly through the sea of ringing phone calls and numerous corporate employees shouting back and forth. Cautious in her pacing towards the large grey steeled elevator with a compacity of ten people. 

CHESKONOV INC. had spread it's multimillionaire CEO businesses through countries like Kamat, Jinnah, and Novanza with a highly qualified Director to take the reigns for each business while still supporting the source back in Sarovat.

Now that David was dead. It was only a matter of time before the loose ends needed to be tied.

"Good morning, Jahani!" A man's arm slammed against the side of the elevator seconds after she clicked the highest floor. He was a charming dark haired man with forest green eyes. Well dressed. Handsome. Witty. A clean shave.

But ultimately a thorn in her side sometimes.

"Good morning, Benji." She greeted awkwardly, accepting the hot chocolate he offered after his little apology for startling her out of the blue like that. Benji might've been annoying but he had a kind heart and she could never stay mad at him.

A tense and awkward silence hung between them throughout the short elevator ride. Jahani was distant as he attempted his usual small talk. Benji knew better than to pry when acknowledging the shift in her tone and body language.

But for anyone in the building that knew Jahani, would eventually know of her involvement with the Cheskonovs.

The elevator stopped and doors slid open followed by a loud dinging noise. Benji going the opposite way than the Jahani but not before wishing good luck on the most important appointment of the day.

 _Scratch that._ The _most_  important appointment of her life.

Marble floors. Four porcelain sculpted statues symmetrically parrallel from on another like the two Pre-Raphaelite paintings next to them. A grey walled corridor with two large golden handled red painted doors right at the end.

 _You got this._ She thought confidently, taking a strong sip of the hot beverage before tossing it in the nearest trash bin.

_He's counting on you._

Upon entering the room there were a total of nine large black leathered chairs positioned around an a long oval shaped wooden table and only three of them were vacant. The rest were filled in by three women and three men. All sharply dressed in their casually formal attire. Their voices hushing the second Ms. Parrish entered the room.

"Where is Ms. Ballard and Mr. Cheskonov?" One of them asked. It was Rosa Castellano. A long time colleague of David. She was a stubby old woman with a short brown haircut that was clearly graying around the edges. She wore a dark green plaid suit with light green heels while a light brown cane lay idle between her small wrinkled fingers.

"They will be here soon, Mrs. Castellano." Jahani replied. Taking the papers handed over to her before taking a seat across from the little old woman and the two taller men beside her. Seconds before she began to read the legal document, Ms. Ballard and Mr. Lii arrived in the nick of time and Jahani couldn't have been more relieved to see her.

Patting the seat next to her, Jahani noticed the awkward and uncomfortable expressions from everyone else in the room, besides Lii. Tuyet noticed. Her finger then traced along the hearing aid in her left ear. She understood their discomfort of not having clear communication and must've thought it would be rude to ask any questions regarding the hearing aid.

She simply preferred to sign instead of speak when it came to people she wasn't exactly close with. Luckily, Mr. Lii was more than willing to be a vocal translator.

"It's alright. I can read your lips. Just don't talk too fast or all at once."

With their awkwardness put aside with a sense of relief. The meeting could begin.

"For the purposes of safety and security this entire meeting will remain between the nine of us attending today. Since Nikolai is absent in the meantime, everything is being recorded via audio and footage so that nothing is illegally tampered with regarding the discussion of the deceased David Cheskonov and my new client, Tuyet Ballard." Jahani flipped over to the next page.

"I, David "Kazimir" Cheskonov will leave everything in the hands of my secretary, Jahani Parrish regarding my private client Tuyet Ballard. Ms. Ballard is hard of hearing in both ears but it's her left one that is the most concerning to me. Please treat her with the same respect you would give me if you, a colleague or an art investor / representative, wish to help in continuing her profession as an artist."

By now they had many questions to ask. Questions about her relationship with David and how it all started. Questions that she probably wouldn't feel too comfortable answering.

The meeting was dreadfully two hours and thirty minutes long with the discussion of what each representative had to offer to Tuyet and her career. Some of them were simply interested in her as a person than the fame that came with her outstanding abstract paintings. The company's Director was in another meeting therefore it was up to Ms. Parrish to legally sort everything involving the representatives and Tuyet.

When the meeting ended, Ms. Parrish gave Tuyet the key to her three bedroom home, addressing the fact that there was a lot they needed to discuss based on the insistence in her doe shaped eyes. Speaking out in public was too high of risk for Jahani to take.

"I know it must a bit overwhelming to be far from home but do try to make yourself comfortable while staying in Kamat. I'm sure Mr. Lii wouldn't mind keeping you company."

After they left, Jahani spent the rest of the day inside the CEO building running errands and organizing legal documents for the late night staff and employees. Not a single phone call though, which was unusual despite her busy schedule. No voicemails. No sticky notes left behind to say that had any missed calls. Not even a reminder call from The Director way upstairs.

It was definitely unusual.

Checking her watch, it was almost midnight and she was exhausted.

It was uncomfortably silent throughout the building

She should've been used to nights like this but something about tonight had her stomach twisting and turning on the inside. A very sickening and unpleasant sensation washed over her.

And it wasn't the horribly burned coffee this time.

Returning to her desk to check the voicemails, she instead found a bouquet of lavender pink Hydrangea flowers tied together with a silk white ribbon. Next to it being a small but sweet yellow card with the words, _J. Parrish_ , written on the front followed by a heart at the end.

**Dear Jahani,**

**I hope you enjoyed the morning hot chocolate to get your day started. I checked back to see if you had any phone calls but sadly nothing. I haven't even heard from The Director all day either but I do hope your meeting went well.**

**Once I get my promotion I'll definitely treat you to a trip to Santa Rozos! The beaches and the culture are so breathtaking there!**

**But more importantly, I want to thank you for always being nice to me and being a shoulder to lean on. I know I can be annoying at times but at least I know I can depend on someone here in the company.**

**Sorry for your loss and take care.**

**Sincerely, Benji.**

She couldn't help but smile after reading the sweet letter that Benji left for her. Tears of joy began streaming down her cheeks as she quickly wiped them away and collected herself before getting on that elevator to finally talk with The Director and then go home to a cozy silk sheeted bed.

At the door of The Director's office, that sickening feeling was back again as she reached for the door knob. Only this time it hit even harder than before and she just felt terribly sick.

Perhaps she was just grieving over the loss of David and couldnt stomach the pain from the loss of appetite or the constant nightmares. Perhaps the time of blocking everything out about David was finally catching up to her. The universe's way of kicking her in the stomach with a dose of reality.

Taking deep and shaky breathes as her chest violently rose and fell. Jahani took a moment to collect herself before stepping a foot inside that room. Her heart thumping in her eardrums as she focused to calm herself down with the wave of panic hitting her out of the blue.

Repressing feelings is never good for a healing heart.

Once she calmed down and only when she did. The woman took a bold step into the large and promptly clean office was a skyscraper view of the city down below just behind the desk. The Director facing away from her as he calmly addressed her to close the door on her way in.

"Are you feeling alright Ms. Parrish? You sound quite distressed." His voice was deep. A calm kind of deep that brought a sense of safety to one's mind.

"I'm fine, sir. Just grieving the loss of someone important to me." She admitted. Noticing her tone was still shaken up from only a few moments ago.

The Director slowly turned to face her and said, "So am I."

BANG!

It had happened in a instant. In the blink of an eye and the reality of it all came sinking in.

She was on the ground with a bullet lodged into her abdomen. Fresh blood staining her hands as she desperately tried to apply pressure to the wound. Her eyes completely filled with fear as tears streamed down her face.

"Now that David is gone there are some loose ends I need to tie up. Unfortunately your just a liability that got caught in the crossfire." He stood over her trembling body slowly going into shock. His pistol holstered to his side.

"You've brought me nothing but good fortune Ms. Parrish. To David and I. I can't thank you enough for your services." He said, a sense of true admiration in his voice.

"However." He cooed mockingly. "When I heard that you were going to be my replacement as Head Director of this company. Something in me snapped and I knew I couldn't let you or anyone else take that from me."

He gritted his teeth. Raw jealousy and hatred in his eyes. This was no longer a man staring back at her. Just a cold hearted monster who ate what was left of his humanity and compassion.

"After my client disposes of your body, I’ll be sure to give him a well deserved promotion of replacing your services here.” Suddenly the door opened and a delighted smile came to the The Director’s face. “Just the man I wanted to see.”

She looked up. Her vision blurred for a moment due to the tears.

Her heart dropped like a anchor. 

“Ben…ji?” The bleeding out Jahani whispered in disbelief. His face grimaced in disgust at the sight of her. The guilt very clear in his features. That terrified and helpless look on her face would haunt him for years to come.

His kindness. Their friendship over the last five years. Was it all just some sick rouse to gain her trust to lead her to this tragic misfortune of fate?

But why? Why would he do such a horrible thing?

Remembering the sickness that she felt earlier, she came to the horrifying realization that he must've spiked the hot chocolate he had offered this morning.

How could she be such a fool?! 

“I’m sorry….There was no other way.” He whispered pathetically. "Look, it will all be over soon. You won't feel a thing."

Easily, he lifted her from the ground and over his shoulder. Jahani thrashed her body as hard as she could to break free but it was useless now. She had already lost too much blood and her eyelids were starting to get heavy.

The door to the office was slammed. The sound Benji's footsteps began to fade.

And then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed chapter 2. Please be sure to leave your comments and theories down below! I had so much fun making it.
> 
> The flowers Benji left for Jahani symbolize things such as the understanding between two people along with heartfelt and honest emotions. Unfortunately for Jahani, it also symbolizes heartlessness and a lack of remorse and sympathy for another's feelings with doing a rather cruel or reckless action and in some cases can also involve extreme vanity and narcissism. Those last four negative traits being the opposite of Jahani since they fit The Director. 
> 
> For Benji it is up in the air but it is clear enough that this incident was planned. Leave your theories down in the comments.


End file.
